An insider tells Us Weekly that the move was just one of many that FOX has in store in order to try and bring back what Idol once was. (During May's season 12 finale, ratings plunged to a record low, with a 33 percent drop from the year before).

"They are totally revamping the show for next season," the source explains. "They want to freshen up the entire enterprise from top to bottom."

British-born Lythgoe, who moved to the U.S. in 2002 to produce American Idol, briefly went on hiatus from the show during its eighth and ninth seasons, but came back for season 10.

Lythgoe and fellow executive producer Ken Warwick's exits were later confirmed by FOX in a statement.

"The passion and dedication that Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick brought to American Idol guided the show to become a true cultural phenomenon," it read. "While we are saddened they will no longer be executive producers on the show, we are grateful for their tremendous contributions and look forward to continuing to work with them on additional projects."